The Coffee Shop Happenings Thread

Comments

I've been leading writing workshops in the neighborhood coffee shops/cafes for over 10 years, and the owner/staff at Coffee Bites have been incredibly supportive and nice, and has allowed us to use the upstairs loft area every week for our meetings since Coffee Bites opened. They have even stayed open late for us many times. Also, Soraya, the owner, seems active in the community, cares about the neighborhood, and has donated/given to the community in several ways that I know about and is really kind and sweet. This is one of my favorite cafes.*

Although I think Nimba has a good shot at succeeding (great staff, love the decor, good food and coffee) on several occasions I have arrived only to find them unexpectedly closed. I really really hope they can stay open because I love this place. I love the art/photography, the people, the vibe. And there's always great background music. Maybe they can get a beer/wine license if that will help.

*On Wed. when my new writing group showed up for our first meeting at Nimba only to find it closed, we were welcomed at Lazy Ibis and had a fantastic first night. Although it is small and might be difficult for a larger group to meet, I love the romantic, intimate mood here. Nice for first dates, as well as to get work done. The food is amazing, and I like their tea. When I wanted chai tea and they didn't have any, the owner created a homemade one for me using spices and it was incredible. I really like Flannery (who looks like a goddess from a medieval romance novel) as well as both Raphaels.

The only reason I would be okay with a Starbucks opening in the area is because, as a grad student, I appreciate that they only charge 50 cents for coffee refills. Sometimes I need to budget instead of spending $10-$20 a day at a cafe and work in libraries instead. However, I would feel crappy sitting in any of "our" neighborhood cafes all day just sipping 50cent refills, while I secretly love doing that at Starbucks, sort of getting back at them. I actually like spending $ at the cafes in our area because in some small way I'm able to contribute/support them since they add so much to our neighborhood.

When I moved here I knew very few of my neighbors. Today, I know many more people I've met in these coffee shops/cafes. Thanks guys!

I popped in to Kaffee JAC on Nostrand and Prospect Pl a couple of weeks ago the Sunday they opened, however I live on that corner and haven't seen the place open since then so it might've been a soft opening. The couple there offered me a free coffee (a little too heavy/strong for me) but they were nice people so I'll give it another try. Pretty cozy inside. They also sell pastries and sandwiches.

Edit: I guess JAC is open for good (maybe outside of the hours I happen to walk by) seeing there are already yelp reviews up.

Word on the street, from an employee at a local business, is JAC probably closed since they haven't really been open in months. I think they were open a week or two in January but that's it. I live on the corner and never seen it open except for their first day. I doubt lack of business was their reason for closing so quickly, probably had some other issues.

SBUX will be the next addition, and I predict Nouvelle Vague the next closing. It's too bad, I think the owner has fun taste, and in the right space with the right partner might have made a better go of it.

Yes, when I volunteered to keep track of the coffee shops, I did not expect the next year to be as active as the prior year. Let's start out with the original list in the OP, and work forward from there:

1. Novelle Vag: On Lincoln, near Classon. Presumably, in response to too many people asking questions like "Are you closed once a month?" and stating things like "this place doesn't smell as fishy as I thought it might", this place is now known as Novelle Vague. It is a small venue, and seems to struggle to attract a crowd. It is not in a location with a lot of foot traffic.

2. Park Place Coffee: On Park Pl, near Franklin This place seems to be doing ok, despite being closed on Friday evenings and on Saturday. Lots of people seem to stop in here to get an unpretentious cup of coffee on their way to work. Some people hang out.

3. Pulp and Bean: On Franklin, near EP. It continues to do a good business, but may morph into an ice cream place if Starbucks opens in an adjacent building. Not much space to hang out. Get your coffee, on the way to or from the train.

4. Breukelyn: On Franklin, near St Johns. Now has beer and wine. A big area for people with laptops. I have also overhead people meeting here who appear to be on first dates. It may make as much revenue from beer and wine as it does coffee. Should it still be on this list?

5. Little Zeldas: On Franklin, near Sterling. A very specific demographic uses this coffee shop, and likes to see and be seen on the little tables in front. I suspect it is popular with liberal arts majors who went to private colleges. It seems to be selling a lot of coffee and wine given its very small storefront. Very productive use of space.

6. Glass Shop: On Classon, near St, Johns. This place is in the process of merging with Pete Zaaz, a decidedly artisanal pizza place. On more than one occasion, I have witnessed Pete Zaaz being occupied exclusively by men, and Glass Shop exclusively by females. This merger may result in some flirting between the two groups, and the loss of Glass Shop's identity as a coffee shop. Just call them both Pete Zaaz and be done with it.

7. Crosby: On Classon, near Bergen. This place is regularly full, and has lots of spaces for daytime laptop users. During the day, new mothers bring their children here. Both groups might get along.

8. Penny House Cafe: On Washington, near Park Pl. Very productive use of a small space. People stop here on their way to/from work, but it is too small to have a tribe.

9. Washington Bagel Cafe: On Washington, near Dean. Bagels, coffee and atmosphere are not at the level of the competition. It seems to survive as a result of the nearby car services and merchants. I'm not sure if it would survive a rent increase, yet I predict a rent increase is likely... Heads up!

10. Sit and Wonder: On Washington, near St Marks. Popular with the stroller and laptop folks. It seems to have a tribe of people who come there regularly.

11. Coffee Bites: On Washington, near St. Johns. Very productive use of a small space. People stop here on their way to/from work, but it is too small to have a tribe. Has better brownies than Penny House.

12. Richol Cafe: On Nostrand, near Pacific. Fancy pastries. Very popular. I think they sell more pastries than coffee. The pastries are good enough to bring to work meetings.

13. Pacific Oasis Cafe: On Pacific, near Nostrand. Now closed.

14. CT Muffin: On Nostrand, near Bergen. Thriving. Sometimes the lines are little longer than the smaller places, but is relatively inexpensive.

New Additions:

15. Nimba: Off Franklin, on St. Johns. Seems popular. Has entertainment during the evenings, but I don’t think it has beer or wine.

16. Café Allegria: On St Marks, new Franklin. Has outdoor eating, beer, and makes its own bagels. One can get a turkey sandwich. This is not a place to see and be seen, but is a practical place to get a meal and coffee. I’m not sure it is a coffee shop.

17. Chocolatte: Kingston and EP. Is clear that this place is competing in the league as the others. Has a large Orthodox Jewish customer base.

18. Kaffee Jac: Propsect Place near Nostrand . Affiliated with a now gone ice cream place, BK Scoop. Unclear business plan. Seems to be open only sporadically.

19. Dunkin Donuts, Nostrand and EP. Same as their other locations throughout the city.

20. Anthony’s Corner Café, St John’s and Utica. Brand new. I haven’t been there yet, or even walked by.

21. Starbucks, coming to either EP and Franklin or St Johns and Franklin. It will be like every other location throughout the world, but might have a few pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge on the wall.

22. Nostrand Ave Bagels, Pacific and Nostrand. Seems to be doing ok. Could use some decorations on the walls. Friendly service. Puffy bagels.

23. Rogers’s Coffeeshop, Rogers and Union. Brand new. No info yet.

24. Pulp and Bean II, Franklin and Union. Not as busy as P&B 1, but seems to be doing ok.

Since you have expanded the list eastward past Nostrand from the original post, there are two old-school, lunch counter-type coffee shops on Kingston: Bobby's Coffee Shop on the corner of St. Johns and Jenny's Coffee Shop on the corner of Sterling. Neither is a laptop kind of place, though both have solid tribes of regulars. And I'm not sure if they meet your definition, since both are about food more than coffee. But then again they do both have "coffee shop" in their titles.

Anyone know what the hell is going on with Nimba? I know they had some water pressure problems over a week ago, but they have been closed ever since with no clear signage of when they'll be open again. Really nervous they will be closing for good, this was my favorite cafe in the neighborhood,

Nimba's landlord is allegedly not the "kindest", according to a few people I've spoken with close to the situation, and I believe Eric et al are in the process of taking him to court for shutting off their water after he demanded a rent increase and they did not acquiesce. Don't quote me on the details there but I would assume Nimba will be back at some point in the near future after this legal crap gets cleared up. It's a great spot when it's fully functioning though so don't give up on it yet.

It might not qualify as a coffee shop per se, but I think of Lily & Fig on Franklin between Park & Sterling as a coffee shop, even though they are more of a bakery. I don't think they do espresso beverages, but their drip coffee is good (better than average for neighborhood coffee shops, imo), they have a large tea collection, and their pastries are better than most of the neighboring coffee shops.

Nimba's landlord is allegedly not the "kindest", according to a few people I've spoken with close to the situation, and I believe Eric et al are in the process of taking him to court for shutting off their water after he demanded a rent increase and they did not acquiesce. Don't quote me on the details there but I would assume Nimba will be back at some point in the near future after this legal crap gets cleared up. It's a great spot when it's fully functioning though so don't give up on it yet.

Yup. This is what I have heard as well. I am going to add your post to the Nimba thread.

It might not qualify as a coffee shop per se, but I think of Lily & Fig on Franklin between Park & Sterling as a coffee shop, even though they are more of a bakery. I don't think they do espresso beverages, but their drip coffee is good (better than average for neighborhood coffee shops, imo), they have a large tea collection, and their pastries are better than most of the neighboring coffee shops.

Lily spoke with the walking tour I led in the neighborhood on May 4th, and gave us yummy cookies. She likely earned several customers.

I really feel for the woman. She's nice, but often seemed a little down. I guess I'd be too if business was so slow. I still like the idea of a new-wave coffee shop...maybe she could have partnered with someone with more experience or sense to do a better build-out.

This thread is a shame. Its identical in tone to a horse race. When a person decides to keep a business open or not is a life changing decision with enormous affects on all involved. My best wishes go out to all business owners who struggle with these decisions daily, I know I have. Right now I am debating to keep TP&TB open or not. With the coming of Starbucks I am asking myself if I should stay open, change format, or rent the spot. This is not an easy decision. There are loyal employees and customers who appreciate and depend on TP&TB and I would hate to not be there for them.

Tony, I think this thread is maybe a bit different than a horse race in that here, as far as I can tell, we're not necessarily rooting for a winner or loser. No cheering when one fails. It is however, as residents of the neighborhood, interesting to keep track with the pace of change, and what comes/goes and trying to understand the underlying reasons why.

Hopefully other's learn from the 'reasons why', and don't repeat the same mistakes. Too often something opens up in the same space where something similar failed, and you wish the people had done some homework. Though sometimes a small tweak makes all the difference. Businesses are a weird and difficult thing.

I hear you that a business is not a faceless thing. There are humans behind it, often putting in everything they have and taking a risk, and employees' livelihoods at stake as well. Hopefully people understand that and don't root for a business to close (there are exceptions though when some deserve to).

Right now I am debating to keep TP&TB open or not. With the coming of Starbucks I am asking myself if I should stay open, change format, or rent the spot. This is not an easy decision. There are loyal employees and customers who appreciate and depend on TP&TB and I would hate to not be there for them.

I hope you stick around and I wish you the best. I know for a fact that if TP&TB had more seating that more people would come.

Right now I am debating to keep TP&TB open or not. With the coming of Starbucks I am asking myself if I should stay open, change format, or rent the spot. This is not an easy decision. There are loyal employees and customers who appreciate and depend on TP&TB and I would hate to not be there for them.

Just now seeing this, but - and I'm no huge fan of chain stores of any kind - I really think TP&TB will benefit from Starbucks going in. (TP&TB South is a daily morning stop for me before catching the train to work.)

Starbucks will increase the foot traffic on the TP&TB North block. It will draw people up Franklin but also over from other avenues. Locals will still know TP&TB and go there over a chain. But TP&TB will also pick up some of the new foot traffic in the area... much of which will come from people not necessarily destined for Starbucks each time but just naturally frequenting the Franklin @ EP area more often once Starbucks trips have planted thought of the area in their brains...

None of this is to say a coffee shop is the most profitable use of the space... there may be a better option... I have no idea and nothing in mind here... good luck in whatever route you choose... and here's hoping that route is a second B&B at Franklin and Union... :-)

To the owner of TP&B:Many folks in the hood have expressed the need/want for a local pastry shop/bakery (sort of a little old-school Italian bakery style, perhaps....) where one could pick up great breads, pastries/canolis (yum), cakes, tarts, cheesecakes, & perhaps fresh cookies by the pound to pick up if you are hosting a dinner or going to someone's home for dinner and need to bring some nicely wrapped desserts, for example. Although my understanding is that Lily & Fig theoretically might be the go-to spot for this, believe me, I have tried them and several other shops many times when headed to friends for dinner, and for some reason L&F are always closed before dinner-hour and everyone else only has hard leftover croissants from breakfast-time....Not a good dessert option. And...The closest possibility to fill this need might be Joyce but we could surely use a much closer grab and go yummy bakery/pastry/dessert-type-option here on Franklin Ave, if you are open to shifting focus and if you might be able to find some yummy suppliers. Just an idea about a local need that might be worth considering...

Tony Fisher, if you must close Pulp & Bean, maybe you'd consider expanding Bob & Betty's into the P&B space? You could put in a fresh deli counter where you could still stock your yummy bagels and offer cold cuts, deli sandwiches, hot food to go, etc.? Or just expand Bob & Betty's to include a few extra shelves of products your customers have asked for that you haven't had room to add. Just a thought.

Or...just thought of this...perhaps you could become the local creperie w/ both sweet and savory crepe options and perhaps quiches too....and you continue to do coffee & tea with crepes or slices of quiche...both are a great breakfast, lunch or light dinner option ..and who doesn't love a yummy crepe or quiche...??? In terms of product, it would completely differentiate you from Starbucks (and all the oher local coffee spots, for that matter...), and it would give folks a definite reason to want to come specifically to you any time.of day, whether they want a sweet treat or a light meal... Just tying to keep the thinking cap on as I'm sympathetic to your concerns about the big boys coming to town..Local bakery or creperie, I think either way would be a great and lucrative option...

I don't know if it's possible to change thread titles, but I agree with Tony's earlier comments... the thread title almost makes it sound like we are hoping for coffee shop closures. If I were an owner like Tony I would share his frustration at that. Maybe it was originally a "death watch" thread, but it has really ended up just being a local coffee shop happenings thread. I'd hate for other owners to turn away from contributing to the thread by perceiving it as Tony did.

What is wrong with hoping that the area gets a more diverse business mix?

What is wrong with advising businesses that if they do not differentiate themselves they will perish?

What is wrong with looking forward to the new businesses that will replace those that don't adapt?

There's nothing wrong with constructive criticism... but rooting for places to fail is a different story. There may have been some of that in the thread, but overall that hasn't been the tone of the thread... it's a good discussion... the title was just misleading and could be off-putting for local owners.

Not a big deal... but thanks for the change. I think the new title better fits the more positive nature of the thread.

Whynot. The space next to Starbucks will remain open. The shop is doing very well. And will remain open for the foreseeable future. The shop at 832 will be closing once bb822franklin is open. The shop at 832 Franklin will be site of the future pet food shop (name yet to be determined). The entire operation of TP&TB will be incorporated in to the future location of bb822franklin

This thread is a shame. Its identical in tone to a horse race. When a person decides to keep a business open or not is a life changing decision with enormous affects on all involved. My best wishes go out to all business owners who struggle with these decisions daily, I know I have. Right now I am debating to keep TP&TB open or not. With the coming of Starbucks I am asking myself if I should stay open, change format, or rent the spot. This is not an easy decision. There are loyal employees and customers who appreciate and depend on TP&TB and I would hate to not be there for them.

I wasn't a regular customer at coffee shops in general and haven't really gone to any since I was in college, but when starbucks opened I started going to Tony's place quite often, not just to support them, but because Starbucks deciding that now, all of a sudden, crown heights is worthy of them moving in, just rubs me the wrong way. I've been in this neighborhood for abt 15 years, and if it wasn't for saje (closed) and bruekelen coffeehouse, I probably wouldn't have graduated, lol. My small purchases may not keep a business running, but I'll keep on going as often as I can, and tell all my friends to go. In fact, if they offered Baltazar croissants I'd be there every day.

No, coffee and breakfast pastries are definitely not their primary business. However, they used to have such a wide range of options on the weekends. Those donuts were pretty spectacular. Twice in the last month, they couldn't open on time due to staff not showing up.

I wasn't a regular customer at coffee shops in general and haven't really gone to any since I was in college, but when starbucks opened I started going to Tony's place quite often, not just to support them, but because Starbucks deciding that now, all of a sudden, crown heights is worthy of them moving in, just rubs me the wrong way. I've been in this neighborhood for abt 15 years, and if it wasn't for saje (closed) and bruekelen coffeehouse, I probably wouldn't have graduated, lol. My small purchases may not keep a business running, but I'll keep on going as often as I can, and tell all my friends to go. In fact, if they offered Baltazar croissants I'd be there every day.